Barging in Burgundy
This would be our 5th summer barging in Burgundy on our beloved Shangri La. When my better half bought the boat, I had grand ideas of traversing the Inland Waterways of all Europe. My other half was much more realistic. And thank heavens for that. We spent 2 and 1/2 summers in the Netherlands, a hectic season trekking through Belgium into France. This would be our second summer in France. We had barely moved from Burgundy the year before. And it didn’t look like we were making great progress anytime soon. And the best bit – it was entirely OK. We had been taking our time stopping off at myriad little villages. Languishing at markets and dropping back on our intended schedule to enjoy just a bit more of a lovely place we discovered. Barging in Burgundy is indeed. a special experience. You can see a video of the inside of our boat – on this link.
Shangri La lifted out for a scrub
My husband went a few days ahead of me to get the boat ready and do a few small repairs. I was coming over with my mother on the Eurostar. This would be her first time on our boat. And her first time barging in Burgundy
Filling up with fuel
Day One – 28th June 2017
London to St-Jean-de-Losne
The trip from London to St-Jean-de-Losne is always hectic. There are only a handful of trains to this itty-bitty village. Our entire trip hinges around making sure we don’t miss one of those trains. It’s tight. I didn’t want my mother to have to dash with all her luggage. Luckily my better half came up to meet us at Gare du Nord and helped carry her stuff. Would not have coped without him. There is a taxi we could take for the last leg from the station to the boat but it’s so expensive when we convert it back to our local currency. It’s just over a kilometre. So, we walked. My mother walked too. She was tired when we got to the boat.
Apparently, it had been hot and dry for 9 weeks prior to our arrival. It was a warm evening so we sat outside on the back deck listening to the frogs, fish and birds. Eating and chatting. The shops were closed when we arrived so it was a meal of leftovers and what was on board.
St Jean de Losne
Day Two – 29th June 2017
St-Jean-de-Losne
Our second day was spent in St-Jean-de-Losne. I wanted Mum to see a bit of this important junction on the waterways. My other half had last dealings with H2O Marina. We needed to do major shop up for 7 weeks of boating and there is a lovely Casino supermarket easy walking distance from the boat.
One thing about H2O St-Jean-de-Losne is they have great wi-fi. And thank heavens as there was a major plumbing drama back home in South Africa. We did a little walkabout in the village. Visited the free Barge Museum. Popped into an eatery along the River Saône for a drink. And then back to the boat before the rain came down. I made a pasta packed full of French veggies, aubergine, courgette, onions, garlic and hearty tomatoes. Plus, some Violife vegan parmesan cheese I had brought over from the UK. Add a few glasses of Burgundy red wine. What more could a person want?
Sleeping in a boat is the best. The cabins are cosy with low ceilings. Add to that the motion and sounds of being on the water. I guess it’s a bit like being in a womb. Hypnotic. Definitely conducive to a good night’s sleep.
Read more – on this link.
